1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices and apparatus employed for the cleaning of eyeglasses and more particularly pertains to an eyeglass cleaning station which may be employed to provide relatively small portions of eyeglass cleaning materials for casual use in the home or office.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of eyeglass cleaning stations is known in the prior art. More specifically, eyeglass cleaning stations heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of providing eyeglass cleaning materials in a centralized format are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
The present invention is directed to improving devices for an eyeglass cleaning station in a manner which is safe, secure, economical and aesthetically pleasing.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,661 to Burwell discloses a lens and/or eyeglasses cleansing device comprising an elongated storage container housing a cleaning cloth fastened to a cord member wherein the cord member extends through an aperture in an end of the container thereby providing a means for retraction of the cloth for storage by pulling the cord. There is no provision in the Burwell invention for introducing additional glasses cleaning aids such as liquids and furthermore the cleaning cloth is susceptible to gathering dust, grit, and other materials which can easily damage the optical surface of eyeglass lenses. The present invention includes aa liquid lens cleaner and a disposable clothlike eyeglass cleaner which when used conjunctively provide a superior level of eyeglass cleanliness. And the present invention's employ of disposable clothlike eyeglass cleaners provides a clean, grit free cleaning tool for each eyeglass cleaning operation.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,204 to Smith an eyeglass cleaning kit and method of cleaning eyeglasses is disclosed. The Smith invention comprises a chemically treated pig skin chamois housed within an airtight case suitably sized to be attachable to a short chain and be used as a key holder. The pig skin chamois is chemically treated with fungicide and is moistened periodically to assist in the cleaning process. The pig skin chamois is susceptible to capturing dust, grit, and other materials which may harm the optical surface of eyeglass lenses. A variable amount of liquid cleaning agent as is generally available from the pig skin chamois is applied to the eyeglass lens. Dilution and contamination of liquid cleaning agent in use and storage is another disadvantage of the Smith invention. The present invention is unsusceptible to capture of dust, grit, and other materials because the cleaning fabric is disposable and held in good supply within the cleaning station and furthermore is readily replaceable with new materials. And the liquid lens cleaner of the present invention is contained in a container retaining an environmental seal between applications and being therefore impervious to contamination.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,751 to Madkour a portable eyeglass cleaning device is described comprising a portable kit containing a liquid lens cleaner absorbed within an absorbent material and a dry wiping material in separate compartments. The Madkour invention is limited to a single or very limited number of cleanings and is applied as a fully disposable eyeglass cleaning device. The rapid evaporation of most lens cleaning agents will render the absorbent material employed dry and of little practical use after a short exposure to the environment. The wiping material of the Madkour invention is practically limited to a single use or very few uses because of dust, grit, and other contamination normally encountered in the eyeglass cleaning process. The present invention is of small size but not of a portable design and therefore contains a supply of cleaning materials adequate for several eyeglass cleaning procedures. The sealed container holding lens cleaner fluid and the disposability of lens wiping materials of the present invention ensure the supply of liquid cleaner and a clean lens wiper for each application.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,010 to Petkoff a cleaning device for eyeglasses is disclosed wherein an elongated casing contains extractable tongs having spongelike wiper pads disposed upon flattened gripping free ends. A film bag reservoir containing lens cleaning fluid and a conduit permits transfer of the fluid cleaner to the spongelike wiper pads by application of pressure to the film bag. A disadvantage in this prior art lies in a lack of provision for replacement of the wiping pads after each cleaning operation and the absence of a dry wiping provision to remove non-evaporated liquid lens cleaner. The present invention has disposable wiper materials which are used for cleaning conjunctively with liquid lens cleaner and for dry wiping each lens afterward thereby providing an optimal cleaning function.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,480,022 to Richardson et al. discloses a cleaning device for eyeglasses. The disclosure teaches an apparatus having a bowl containing cleaning fluid and a centrally mounted, rotating eyeglass supporting rack wherein the supporting rack is raised and lowered during rotation to effect cleaning and drying cycles. The disclosure makes no provision for manual power and requires electrical input to provide rotation of the supporting rack. Furthermore, there are no provisions for wiping the eyeglass lens. Wiping is capable of removing the deposits ordinarily remaining after air drying a lens having been cleaned using a liquid cleaning agent. There is no teaching to renew the relatively large quantity of liquid cleaner after one or even a few uses. The present invention provides disposable eyeglass cleaning materials for wiping and requires a small quantity of liquid lens cleaner which is fully extended with each cleaning.
In this respect, the according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an eyeglass cleaning station apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of casual cleaning of eyeglasses using a disposable lens wiping means and liquid lens cleaner provided to the user in a convenient housing.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved eyeglass cleaning station which can be employed in the home or office to permit cleaning eyeglasses having the advantages of wet and dry wiping technique. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
As illustrated by the background art, efforts are continuously being made in an attempt to improve techniques and apparatus for cleaning eyeglasses. No prior effort, however, provides the benefits attendant with the present invention. Additionally, the prior patents and commercial techniques do not suggest the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured as disclosed and claimed herein.
The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objects, and advantages through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps and component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing only readily available materials.